I've been reading "Mines in the spinifex" by Geoffrey Blainey....

I've been reading "Mines in the spinifex" by Geoffrey Blainey. It details the demise of the Great Australia copper mine near Cloncurry from 1885 to 1887 (since re-opened but another story). Reasons for not living up to shareholder expectations 'did not reassure one shareholder who recalled how the prospectus had emphasized that huge quantities of ore were just waiting to be mined. "They were told," he complained, "that the total value of the property might be something like 4,000,000 pounds. They were told that it was a mountain of copper. They were told . . . that there were seventeen hundred tons lying on the grass at a value of 15,000 pounds." And now, after a pitiful tonnage of copper had been smelted, they were told that a shaft must be sunk to open more ore. The chairman in reply confessed that some money had been squandered by the late manager, who had been dismissed for reasons that it would not be prudent to give.' The mine was working at a loss and closed in June 1887.

I come from Cloncurry and would like to see its mines succeed which is why I have a few dollars in CDU. Just sad.